What a way to celebrate the International Press Freedom Day in Egypt !??
Earlier Monday , the Egyptian prosecution decided to detain journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud on charges of "plotting to overthrow the regime" , "spreading false news" and "plotting to suspend the constitution" !!!
Sakka 15 days pending investigations
I understand the part concerning "spreading false news" which is related on how both Amr Badr and Mahmoud Sakka published articles about how Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian islands.
Interestingly, the Prosecution is accusing them of spreading rumors through their website "Yanair" News Portal which means we are speaking about publishing-related crime as well freedom of expression-related crime.
Yanair News portal published that the two islands are Egyptian in the same way state-owned newspapers like Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar newspapers published that the two Red Sea islands are Saudi !!
What I truly do not understand here are the charges of "plotting to overthrow the regime" and a "plot to suspend the constitution" !!!!
Badr and Sakka are the latest Egyptian journalists to be in detention. We are having a breaking record here because according to estimation we got over not less than 20 Egyptian journalists and photographers detained according to Committee to Protect Journalists.
Earlier this year , Mahmoud El-Sakka was arrested by security forces during the crackdown against activists before the 25 January revolution's 5th anniversary.
El-Sakka said after his release from detention that he was tortured. Human rights lawyer Khaled Ali is concerned about his safety.
On the other hand , the crisis between the Egyptian Journalists syndicate and the Ministry of interior is escalating as the ministry insists despite the witnesses' testimonies that it did not break the law or storm the syndicate on Sunday.
The syndicate board called for a General assembly on Wednesday while it is still insisting on its demands : Dismissal of Magdy Abdel Ghafer, the minister of interior and the release of detained journalists.
The Journalists syndicate's sit-in is still and tens of journalists still protest against President Sisi and interior ministry.
The security forces are still besieging the syndicate and its street.
Pro-regime thugs are also attacking the syndicate.
After a couple of days, Egypt's House of Representatives is going to discuss the new Press law and things will get even more complicated.
Interestingly , Egypt's biggest State-owned newspaper's Op-Ed on Tuesday called for the dismissal of Magdy Abdel Ghafer. It is unusual to see such Op-Ed in Al-Ahram Daily.
People are speculating that Magdy Abdel Ghafer is going to be dismissed soon because Al-Ahram Daily Newspaper won't publish an Op-Ed like that that.
Al-Ahram Op-Ed about Giulio Regeni was also interesting and nothing happened.
We will see if Abdel Ghafer is going to leave or not.
Happy International Press Freedom Day.
Earlier Monday , the Egyptian prosecution decided to detain journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud on charges of "plotting to overthrow the regime" , "spreading false news" and "plotting to suspend the constitution" !!!
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| Egyptian journalists protest at their syndicate on Monday by AP |
I understand the part concerning "spreading false news" which is related on how both Amr Badr and Mahmoud Sakka published articles about how Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian islands.
Interestingly, the Prosecution is accusing them of spreading rumors through their website "Yanair" News Portal which means we are speaking about publishing-related crime as well freedom of expression-related crime.
Yanair News portal published that the two islands are Egyptian in the same way state-owned newspapers like Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar newspapers published that the two Red Sea islands are Saudi !!
What I truly do not understand here are the charges of "plotting to overthrow the regime" and a "plot to suspend the constitution" !!!!
Badr and Sakka are the latest Egyptian journalists to be in detention. We are having a breaking record here because according to estimation we got over not less than 20 Egyptian journalists and photographers detained according to Committee to Protect Journalists.
Earlier this year , Mahmoud El-Sakka was arrested by security forces during the crackdown against activists before the 25 January revolution's 5th anniversary.
El-Sakka said after his release from detention that he was tortured. Human rights lawyer Khaled Ali is concerned about his safety.
On the other hand , the crisis between the Egyptian Journalists syndicate and the Ministry of interior is escalating as the ministry insists despite the witnesses' testimonies that it did not break the law or storm the syndicate on Sunday.
The syndicate board called for a General assembly on Wednesday while it is still insisting on its demands : Dismissal of Magdy Abdel Ghafer, the minister of interior and the release of detained journalists.
The Journalists syndicate's sit-in is still and tens of journalists still protest against President Sisi and interior ministry.
The security forces are still besieging the syndicate and its street.
Pro-regime thugs are also attacking the syndicate.
 |
| A thug lady hurling rocks at the syndicate by Mahmoud Abo El-dahab |
Interestingly , Egypt's biggest State-owned newspaper's Op-Ed on Tuesday called for the dismissal of Magdy Abdel Ghafer. It is unusual to see such Op-Ed in Al-Ahram Daily.
People are speculating that Magdy Abdel Ghafer is going to be dismissed soon because Al-Ahram Daily Newspaper won't publish an Op-Ed like that that.
Al-Ahram Op-Ed about Giulio Regeni was also interesting and nothing happened.
We will see if Abdel Ghafer is going to leave or not.
Happy International Press Freedom Day.